MOTOCROSS: Adam's wheely good (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

MOTOCROSS: Adam's wheely good

5:00pm Friday 1st March 2013 in Sport By Dan Barnes

ADAM Chatfield had already been named king of the arena halfway across the globe but the Market Lavington speedster was delighted to clinch the first-ever UK Arenacross title on home soil.

Arenacross pits up to 24 riders against each other in races on purpose-built indoor dirt tracks with Chatfield, 25, being named national champion earlier this month after finishing top of the pile in the inaugural UK series for the Buildbase Honda team.

The former Lavington School student finished first in the opening two stages at London’s O2 Arena and the Belfast Odyssey Arena and was runner-up at Birmingham’s LG Arena before a fourth-placed finish at the Echo Arena in Liverpool secured the championship title.

In December last year, Chatfield was tearing up the track in South America as he won the Arenacross Brazil title, riding for IMS Racing, and now the Wiltshire star is preparing for another shot at international success.

“When I was about 16, I first moved over to America to start racing there and I turned fully professional when I was 17,” said Chatfield.

“I ended up racing in the AMA motocross, which everyone knows is one of the biggest series around – I was a small fish in a big pond.

“Eventually, a friend I met out there told me all about Arenacross in Brazil. I had a great year in 2012 and this year will be my third time competing there but it was great for there to be a series in the UK.

“In Brazil, it’s usually outside but in this country, the races are in all the big arenas and the atmosphere is great for the fans – winning it was great.”